Context: 

Recognising the need to switch from the ‘take-make-dispose’ to ‘reduce-reuse-recycle’ model, India has prioritized ‘Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy’ as one of the three core themes for deliberations in the G-20 forum.

About Take-Make-Dispose Model:

• It is also known as the linear economy model.
• It refers to the traditional and linear approach to resource consumption and production in the system, which are used by consumers, and then discarded as waste after their use.

About the Reduce-Reuse-Recycle Approach:

• It is a sustainable waste management strategy.
• It aims to minimize the environmental impact of resource consumption and waste generation.
• It promotes a circular economy model by encouraging responsible resource use, extending the lifespan of products, and maximizing their use.

About Circular Economy:

• Reuse with Regeneration: It is an economic system which is based on the reuse and regeneration of products, especially as a means of continuing production in a sustainable or environmentally friendly way.
• Applied Principles: It is based on three principles:
  • Elimination: Eliminate waste and pollution
  • Circulation: Circulate products and materials (at their highest value)
  • Regeneration: Regenerate nature
  • It includes 6 R’s: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Repair
• Priority Areas: India has embraced four priority areas for the circular economy during its G-20 presidency
  • Circularity in the Steel Sector
  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
    • It is a policy approach that holds producers accountable for the entire life cycle of their products, including their post-consumer stage.
  • Circular Bioeconomy 
    • It is an approach that seeks to combine the principles of circular economy with the use of renewable biological resources.
  • Coalition: Establishing an industry-led resource efficiency and circular economy industry coalition.

Moving to a Circular Steel Sector:

• A Potential Blueprint of Ambitions: 
  • Mitigation of GHGs: Most G-20 member countries have committed to net zero ambitions and are working to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Net Zero Pathway: It is a potential blueprint for a net zero pathway for the steel industry, reducing resource utilization and minimizing wastage. 
  • Integrated Approach: There is an emphasis on the significance of the EPR framework in integrating circularity throughout the value chain.

What is the need to Focus on this Steel Sector?

• Crucial Element: Steel has a crucial role in infrastructure development,and hence, its efficient utilization is important.
• Growing Demand: The demand for steel is growing at a very high pace, especially in growing economies such as India.
• High Contributor of Energy Emission: Globally, about 7% of energy sector emission is attributed to iron and steel production.
  • Transitioning is a Key: Transitioning towards a circular steel sector is a key strategy to tackle steel sector emissions.
  • Collaboration of Sharing & Transfering: The key lies in ensuring collaboration among the G-20 member countries for knowledge sharing, technology co-development and technology transfer.

Recycling, a bioeconomy and biofuels:

• Need for a Streamlined Waste Collection System: Effective implementation of EPR plays a pivotal role in promoting the growth of the recycling infrastructure and establishing a streamlined waste collection system.
• Data: With over 20,000 registered Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners (PIBOs) and over 1,900 plastic waste processors on the centralized EPR portal, India claims itself as one of the largest frameworks for EPR.
• Rules & Regulations: India has notified comprehensive rules for e-waste and battery waste management.
• Options Available: 
  • As a Raw Material: Combined with crops well-suited for degraded lands, biowaste can serve as valuable primary raw materials and viable substitutes for mineral resources.
  • Circular Bioeconomy: Adopting a circular bioeconomy approach will reduce the need for extracting virgin resources and provide an effective waste disposal solution.

What is the need to Focus on Biowaste?

• Biowaste, a Global Issue: Biowaste such as municipal and industrial waste and agricultural residue has become a global issue as much of it is burned, causing pollution, biodiversity loss and global warming.
• High Consumption of Bioresources in G20 countries: Since 1970, the consumption of biological resources in G-20 member countries has risen 2.5 times. 

Initiatives taken by the Government: The Government of India has been working towards the adoption of biofuels. 

• The Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana: It provides financial support to integrated bio-ethanol projects to set up second-generation (2G) ethanol projects.
  • Waste to Energy: 2G bioethanol technology produces bioethanol from waste feedstock such as crop residues and municipal solid waste that would otherwise have no value.
  • Mandatory Blending: India has made it mandatory for coal-burning thermal power plants to use a 5% blend of biomass pellets along with coal.
• The Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources (GOBAR) Dhan Scheme: It was launched by the Government of India to convert cattle dung and other organic waste into compost, biogas, and biofuels to promote sustainable agriculture and reduce pollution.
  • With over 500 functional biogas plants, the scheme has also helped create rural livelihoods and ensured improved sanitation.
• The Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) Scheme: It was launched in 2018 to promote the use of Compressed BioGas (CBG) as an alternative green transportation fuel.
  • It has aided the bioenergy sector by accelerating the development of infrastructure for the production, storage and distribution of CBG.

On Industry Coalition: 

• Industries are crucial in advancing resource efficiency and circular economy practices.
• Aim of the Coalition: To achieve enhanced technological collaboration, build advanced capabilities across sectors, mobilize de-risked finance, and facilitate a proactive private sector engagement.

Conclusion: 

• Collaborative Approaches by the Global Forums: Global platforms such as the G-20 play an important role in addressing key issues and presenting solutions by adopting a collaborative approach. 
• Economy of Efficiency: Resource efficiency and circular economy have emerged as key solutions in collective efforts in tackling rising planetary challenges.
  • India’s G-20 presidency has focused extensively on these approaches which offer promising pathways towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

News Source: The Hindu